Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution

ARTIFICIAL LIGHT IN THE ENVIRONMENT

INVITATION TO SUBMIT INFORMATION

 The Royal Commission is to undertake a limited study of artificial light in the environment. We are therefore seeking information and evidence in support of our investigation. The report will be published in 2008.

This topic was selected in recognition of the increasingly pervasive nature of artificial light, and hence of its effects. Natural light plays a fundamental role in the biology of organisms. Artificial light has the potential to disrupt the biology of many species. The study follows on from our March 2007 report on the urban environment where we identified light as an important issue in determining local environmental quality.

A major review of light pollution and astronomy was published by the House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology in 2003. Our study will not therefore consider the effects on astronomy. We do however intend to revisit the Committee’s view that modernising street lighting alone would not bring significant energy savings, so as to take account of advances in lighting technology. We will also review the Committee’s policy recommendations in the light of subsequent Government legislation.

The subject of environmental man-made light includes several major themes, each of which prompts a series of example questions:

• Aesthetic effects
  
  Questions include:
• Artificial light can enhance monuments or locales in different ways (for example, York Minster and Piccadilly Circus). Is it possible to identify the circumstances where man-made light provides an enhanced aesthetic?
• Conversely, are there cases where artificial lighting is aesthetically damaging?

• Effects on the natural world
  Artificial light affects a wide diversity of species in many different ways both individually and perhaps at the population level.
  
  Questions include:

• What are the effects on flora and fauna?
  

• Human health effects
  Various health effects have been ascribed to man-made lighting. For example, it has been suggested that one possible consequence of artificially extended day length is the suppression of melatonin production which might in turn lead to an enhanced risk of various forms of cancer.
  
  Questions include:

• Is there evidence for effects on human health of environmental artificial light (as opposed to indoor illumination)?
• If there is, what are the effects, and what are their likely impacts?

• Benefits including reduced crime and accidents
  Well-sited street lighting can prevent both crime and accidents. In contrast, poorly planned facilities can exacerbate both these problems.
  
  Questions include:

• What is the relationship between lighting and crime/accidents?
  

• Energy use
  Figures from the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform suggest that approximately 20% of the total final consumption of electricity in the UK in 2006 was for lighting (including interior lighting). Poorly designed lighting can lead to significant amounts of energy being wasted, whilst new technologies offer opportunities for energy savings.
  
  Questions include:

• Is energy currently being wasted through artificial outdoor lighting and if so how much?
• Are there significant energy savings to be made from implementing new technology or by controlling lights in a particular way (e.g. movement activated lights)

Invitation to Submit Views

The Commission is requesting views and information that will help it to define the scope of and form the basis for the study. The outline of the subject above is only intended as a guide: given the limited timescale and the breadth of the topic it may only be possible to cover a few areas in depth. Nonetheless we would be grateful for any other suggestions for areas to include. (We may consider these as the subject of future investigations if we cannot incorporate them in the current report.)

Please send any responses to this letter to Fernley Symons of the Royal Commission Secretariat, preferably by e-mail to fernley.symons@rcep.org.uk, at the address on the 'Contact RCEP' page by 18th January 2008.  In the meantime he will be very happy to discuss the subject and content of the study.

This letter is being addressed to around 240 organisations (listed in the annex) that we expect to have an expert understanding of the topic. However, we would be pleased to receive responses from any other bodies or individuals who wish to contribute. We would be equally grateful to receive suggestions for anyone else we should be approaching. A copy of this letter can be found at the Commission's website (www.rcep.org.uk).

Please note that we normally make the information we receive publicly available. Please state clearly in your submission if you do not want this to happen.